carry on
by call.me.clueless
Summary: Because they would go to Hell and back for each other. Team 7. Vague SasuSaku


Disclaimer: I do not, in any way, shape, or form, own Naruto. That is all.

* * *

"You're a monster," They said, barring their teeth and grimacing at the mere sight of him. Was he, a five-year old child, a monster? His blue eyes glassed over with tears threatening to pour out. He shook his head, blond locks tangling and falling to cover his expressions.

"You're a demon," They hissed, shying away from him and hiding their children cautiously. They all knew the truth. The other kids knew something was amiss, but they were also his only hope of normalcy, of maybe something _good_.

The adults pulled their children this way and that, acting as if whatever was wrong with the boy was contagious. _If only they knew the weight on this kid's shoulders_, he thought, removing himself from his position on the bench. _This has gone on long enough. _

"You're not what they say you are; you're who _you_ want to be," He said, running a gloved hand through the child's knotted hair. A slight smile could be seen behind his mask and his good eye crinkled just enough.

The boy grinned back, saying, "I'll be Hokage soon,"

* * *

_Yes, I can tell we are gonna be friends_

* * *

"You could fit the whole school on that thing!" They snickered, the shrill laughter of young girls echoing throughout the training grounds. The object of their ridicule was a small girl who pulled and pulled at her hair to try to cover her only flaw.

"Forehead girl, come block the sun for me! I want shade!" They taunted again, the laughing getting louder. The pointing was becoming too much for the little girl, who looked to be no more than six or seven, and he could see the tears forming.

He paused in his spar and shook his head. The girl turned on her heel and ran as fast as her legs could carry her, only stopping when she reached a tree that she could use for shelter from the mockery. He flash stepped to her position and tried not to scare her further, sadness evident in his eyes.

"You'll grow into a strong and beautiful kunoichi someday. Just wait and see," He said softly while trying not to let her tears break his heart.

"How do you know?" She hiccuped, face red and eyes bloodshot.

"Just a feeling I have," He said, but when her tears dried and she stood to face her tormentors, he knew for sure that it would come true.

* * *

_Just hold that smile for a little while_

* * *

It was raining. The gossip of the nurses came rhythmically along with the pitter-patter of the droplets. They spoke in hushed tones about the boy, the lone survivor, of the once great clan. The brother defected and left him alone. _Alone, _he thought sadly, _sounds so familiar. _

They spoke of him as though he were a fragile thing, a new baby not yet ready to be left alone. Except now he was. _Irony, _the older man thought, _is a twisted, funny thing. _He stuffed his hands into his pockets and walked down the hall. He still had the feeling of who-knows-her-name's chakra in him after recently being healed, but the bandage around his hand still bothered him. After reaching his destination, he knocked once and entered with a slow limp.

"Things are going to be tough, but you'll make it; you're an Uchiha after all," He said, breaking the silence that was tangible in the room.

The boy didn't smile or nod or even move to prove that he understood the words spoken to him, but he knew he did. With the fire blazing in his dark eyes and his fists clinging slightly to the sheets, the older man knew the boy before him would make it out okay.

* * *

_Take a breath, we'll be fine  
_

* * *

He remembers them, the crying children that they once were. Now he sees them for what they are: the dreamer, the hopeful, and the determined. They stood before him, broad grins etched into two out of three faces, clearly thankful for him, for his presence, for the chance to actually meet their savior. He crossed his arms thinking, _Where did the time go? _

Over time, he challenged them, pushed them to their limits and made them grow. Mission after mission, whether D-rank or not, they succeeded. Together, they were finally learning teamwork.

The demon boy learned control and friendship (but let's be honest, the control never lasted). _"Teme, I'll be better than you, just wait and see!" He cried, fist in the air, beaming as bright as the sun. _

The imperfect girl learned to have faith and to appreciate what she had. _"I suppose we make a good team after all!" She sighed, holding their hands like glue to keep them together, and smiled sweetly. _

The silent one learned to open up (as much as he ever would) and to trust._ "Ch. Dobe." He muttered with a hint of a smile. _

The teacher was left to be dumbfounded by their skills, though still being harnessed and improved. They were unmatched and he saw a bright future ahead for them, for the village.

* * *

_Time to pretend the future looks bright_

* * *

_"I love you-"_

_"Go home -"_

_"Take me with you!"_

_"Why do I have to tell you anything?"_

_"Sasuke,"_

_"Thank you...Sakura," _

The story is still jumbled, no one confessing as to what really happened. His departure was unexpected, questioned, and even concerning. No one understood and the team was devastated. With one of the matching set missing, things were hard. The little hopeful girl had been reduced to nothing, wilting and turning into a ghost of her former, happier self. The courageous, dreamer boy was beaten six way to Sunday and still wanted to be a hero for the nothing girl.

_"The promise of a lifetime," He grinned, thumbs up. _

_"Naruto…thanks. For everything," She whispered, tears forming and embracing her friend with crushing hug. _

And so he searched. For what? Some say just the affection of the girl he had pined over for so long. Others say for the attention he had been deprived of when he was a child. If you knew that they were really like brother and sister or that he had gotten enough attention once he found the family that loved him, you would know that he just wanted his best friend, his brother back.

No ulterior motives, no plots or schemes of any sort. Just a lonely little boy. Just Sasuke.

* * *

_And the worst part is there's no one else to blame_

* * *

So the hero gathered a team to hunt for his best friend, to bring him home. The most talented boys of the genin generation were chosen, but even they weren't enough.

"Go home, Dobe," He hissed, kunai in hand and eyes ablaze.

"Not without you," Eyes sharpened, heart broken at the sight of the weapon.

"Leave before I kill you," He glared, throwing the kunai and the only hope of it being an all-talk-between-friends battle was shattered.

"Come home, Teme! You don't belong there and you know it," Signs formed, blue eyes shining and still holding, still clinging for dear life, onto the tiny thread that holds their bond for the moment.

"You don't know a thing about me," The Chidori formed in his hand.

They charged at each other, cursing, screaming, and yelling. The pair destroyed everything in sight. Low on chakra, they floated in the water at a standstill. The once orphaned boy removed the signature headband and slashed right down the middle, cutting the Leaf insignia in half, with a final blow. The blond's eyes widened and his heart stopped for the briefest of seconds.

It's over, and they both know it.

When the almost-a-hero boy returns, beaten to hell and back, he's not sure who is more sorry, him or the nothing girl whose heart (he is positive) is broken beyond repair.

* * *

_And the madness fills my heart and soul  
_

* * *

They trained. After the lonely boy left his only (real) family, the team disbanded and all that was left was mostly painful memories of a fallen comrade. The blond, still as boisterous as ever, went to train under one of the legendary Sanin. No one would see or hear from him except for a few (sloppily written and hard to decipher) letters that came a few times a year. The teacher seemingly happened to forget that he hard a third student, which he would later rerget, and took on mission after mission without hesitation.

This left the nothing girl to fend for herself and try to be something.

So she cut her hair and began training hard, apprenticing under the Hokage herself.

"I will be strong," She cracked her knuckles, trying to heal the broken animal, which would be the first of many patients.

"You will be strong," Tsunade nodded in affirmation, smiling at her student's fast success.

And the nothing girl grew without any of their help.

* * *

_You've been waiting to be free_

* * *

They almost became a team again with the blond's return. The real hero boy and the something girl were strong and ready to face the world. Before taking on all of Fire Country, they were adamant about getting the entire team (family) back. New replaced old with reluctance, but they set out anyway.

"Ugly, why do you chase after the bastard?" The new member was straight faced and curious.

She tried not to use a chakra infused fist to punch him square in the jaw, "He's still a part of my family,"

"He abandoned you and dickless, has killed many people. He is a monster. Why would you want him back?"

There was no response. Even the something girl was confused with the question. She was perplexed and confused and dumbfounded. Her green eyes shielded her emotions because she didn't want them to see her weakness, her thoughts. She couldn't find any real reason to want him back after everything. Was it all still based on 'the promise'? Or something more? She wasn't sure, but she knew she wanted to get to the bottom of it and find the truth.

She was torn.

* * *

_I struggle to find any truth in your lies_

* * *

They meet; they clash. The three parts of a whole coming together once again. One wanted vengeance, but the others would rather have him.

"You've changed," A whisper, saddened at the sight of his still best friend slowly being manipulated and destroyed without realizing it. Would he ever understand or realize what was going on in front of his own eyes?

"The real you is in there somewhere," Barely a breath, muttered so low that she could still hear her heart begin to tear again. Would he ever understand the pain that he had put them through?

"You've replaced me," Lips remained unmoving as he breathed out the sentencing words. Would they ever understand how much he missed them?

It's been a few years; the bonds should be severed entirely. For some reason or another, he couldn't help but feel a light tug or pull or _something_ or some sort hidden away. He brushes off the small feeling, almost forgetting that he could even feel to begin with.

And then they charged again. Chidori and Rasengan clashed as bitter memories came flooding back. The something girl felt like nothing again, standing on the side lines as if time has stopped and they were frozen at twelve. As electricity died down for a few brief seconds, the sound of three hearts breaking could be heard.

* * *

_Weep for yourself, my son  
_

* * *

The war started a few months after the new team (because the new could never really replace the old family) returned. Time passed and the news of various deaths and more invasions poured in left and right. They weren't prepared for this; they never would be. The hero boy was supposed to sit this one out on account of him being the target, but knowing him, that didn't happen. The something girl and hero boy went to the front of the lines, protecting each other like only they can.

It was then that fate decided to intervene.

"What do you want?" She glared, hand pressed cautiously against the other at her throat. He had caught her off guard and now had her attention.

"Revenge," He removed the hand quickly and pulled her up, defending them bond from on-coming attacks.

"Against Konoha or Madara?" She questioned, raising her eyebrows in anticipation. His eyes hardened, but she nodded to him, signaling that she knew.

"Make from for me in your battalion," Sharingan eyes bore down at her as he unsheathed his katana and sliced through enemies with ease.

"Battalion? Oh, please. Naruto and I are heading to the source of this perpetual hell and taking care of him ourselves. Teach is on his way, too," Contemplation set in as she furrowed her brow, wondering why she was telling him this in the first place. Before she asked, however, he nodded and took off to attack more of the enemies threatening their home.

She smiled because even though they were in the midst of war, things were looking up.

* * *

_Do you have room for one more son?_

* * *

"You're useless, a disgrace to the Uchiha name," He said seriously, kicking said disgrace as blood pooled from his lips. The broken boy growled, sitting up from his position on the ground and stared around him. His red eyes widened slightly as he saw the blond attempt to stand and move slowly over to the motionless girl. He stood, his muscles pleading for him to stop.

"And you're a disgrace to ninja everywhere," He spat out blood, wiping any remnants of it from his lips. He took another glance toward his bloodied comrades; the hero boy picked up the something girl, mixing their blood, their sweat, their tears.

He knew, then, that he needed to be the hero for once. He needed to be the one to put their team-family-whatever-they-were-are back together. Their teacher was who knew where, and the avenger boy needed to pull out all of the stops to protect the two that were left.

Sharingan eyes spun wildly, and he lunged.

He fought, sword drawn and teeth barred ferociously at the rival before him. _He harmed your family; he is the very reason that they are dead. He harmed your friends, almost killed the girl. He deserves to die. _The thoughts rushed past him, echoing in his mind as he formed more signs to go on the offensive and finally be rid of this man once and for all.

It was his turn to do something, _anything_, good.

He would fight for them.

So they clashed again, the old man and him. However, this time, the elder of the two had a gaping hole in his chest where his heart would have been. The elder's eyes widened in shock, a short gasp escaping his lips as he tumbled forward, the red liquid staining the ground. The avenger stared at his hand, dirt and blood mixed being washed away by small droplets of the on-coming rain storm. The chakra depletion set in and he felt himself fall unceremoniously to the ground beside his ancestor. He pushed himself up just enough to be able to see an orange jumpsuit cradling a mess of pink.

They were okay. Somehow, someway they had made it.

He closed his eyes and smiled.

* * *

_Lay your weary head to rest; don't you cry no more_

* * *

"What does this mean?" _For the us, the village, the future._ He couldn't bare to continue on the questions out of fear that the lonely boy would desert them another time.

The boy in question closed his eyes, gripping onto the crisp white sheets of the hospital bed in which he was currently situated. His heard pounded so loud that he was sure the other two, though on the opposite side of the room, could hear it. They stood above him, almost fully healed while he was still recovering. The something girl had fixed herself up a smidgen to be sure that she would live and focused her attention on her two boys. Eventually, they all made it back, and not in as many pieces as they expected.

"Will you stay?" _For the team, the family, me. _Her voice was hopeful and he could practically hear the wishful thinking. She clasped her hands together and bit her still-split lip fearfully.

He ran a hand through his raven locks, avoiding the bandage at his temple, and groaned. He wasn't even sure what he was still doing there; he should have left in the middle of the night like he had planned, but something was keeping him. What? He had no idea.

"They will be lenient," A new, but familiar voice joined in the conversation, "You are a hero, after all,"

The boy nodded, understanding but still thoughtful.

"Home," He began, his voice hoarse from disuse, "sounds promising,"

Smiles lit up the room and they knew it would be all right.

* * *

_Home is whenever I'm with you_

* * *

_NOTES _So the lyrics from the songs (in order from top to bottom) were 1) We're Going to be Friends by The White Stripes 2) Not actually a lyric from a song I've heard but it was inspired by Never say Never by The Fray 3) & 4) I just kind of jotted those down, but if they're from a song then I'm not sure which ones 5) Breathe Me by Sia 6) Sleeping Sickness by City & Colour 7) Home by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros 7) Awake My Soul by Mumford and Sons 8) Little Lion Man by Mumford and Sons 9) All These Things That I've Done by The Killers 9) Carry On My Wayward, Son by Kansas 10) Home by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros

_NOTES 2 _I hope you enjoyed it! I think this has been my favorite to write so far and you can definitely expect some other one-shots soon! Probably either a Fairy Tail or Inuyasha (because I still love it).

_REVIEWS GET YOU A COOKIE. DONE AND DONE. _


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